A New Life to Live
by Julia Cat
Summary: There are two dangerous new virals in Mainframe, and they're out to get anyone and everyone in the system so that they can begin their takeover. Sequel to Revenge.


A New Life to Live

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By: [Julia_Cat][1]

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Disclaimer: All the characters in this fanfic other than the ones I've created are strictly the property of Mainframe Entertainment. I am not in any way trying to violate any copyright laws, I wrote this fanfic for enjoyment purposes, and to pass the time during stormy days. All characters not property of Mainframe Entertainment are property of _me_. Ask my permission if you wish to use them, please.

Author's Note: This sequel to Revenge has many flashbacks. A flashback is indicated by a whole section in _italics_. This started out as a trial fanfic, but it has amounted to much more. I'd appreciate feedback on this, because I have poured my heart and soul into its production.

This fanfic is dedicated to all you ReBooters out there, who have awaited this moment. A New life ot Live is finally completed. Thank you all for your positive comments, support, and suggestions. I would not have been able to finish this fanfic without your help. Thank you all!

For old time's sake, here is that famous timescale of mine:  

    
      1 nanosecond = 1 second 1 microsecond = 1 minute 1 millisecond = 1 hour 1 second = 1 day 1 cycle = 1 week 1 minute = 1 month 1 hour = 1 year

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#### Prologue

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Dot had to admit that she was nervous. Getting married was not an event that was to be taken lightly. She admired her reflection in the mirror, took a deep breath to calm herself, and stepped out into the aisle. She could see everyone watching her, waiting for her to reach the front of the church. 

But there was only one pair of eyes that mattered: Bob's. As she gazed at him, he was smiling at her, looking happier than she had ever seen him. *Well, at least he's happy,* she thought to herself. To her, the aisle had never seemed so long. She just wanted to get to the front of the church and get this thing over with.

After what had seemed like milliseconds, Dot finally reached the altar where Bob was waiting for her. As the bride, she had a right to be nervous, but this, she thought, was going to extremes. As soon as she started to wonder whether or not this feeling was healthy, her thoughts were interrupted as the priest began the ceremony.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her bridesmaids, Mouse and AndrAIa, smiling as they watched this momentous occasion. She smiled inwardly and prayed that this would soon be over. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, and was blurred and unfamiliar, not at all like the practice which had seemed so easy and relaxed. This was the real thing. She was really going through with this.

Before she knew it, the priest was asking her, "Do you take this man to be your husband?"

She took a deep breath, and, without thinking, responded, "I do."

#### Part 1

The alarm clock buzzed loudly, jarring Ariah from sleep. A child-like hand emerged from beneath the covers in an attempt to shut it off. Instead, it toppled off the nightstand and landed on the floor.

Ariah grumbled to herself and opened the blind, letting in bright morning sunlight. She looked in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. She had her mother's smile and sparkling violet eyes, and she had her father's black and silver streaked hair, which shone in the increasing sunlight of this May morning. Her skin was a pale azure, a mixture between light blue and light green. She pulled her shoulder length hair into a ponytail, silver streaks never losing the gleam of the spring morning's light.

Tomorrow would be her tenth birthday, but she wasn't thinking about that; she had to get ready for school. She yawned and dragged herself to the bathroom, almost knocking over Corin, her little brother, in the process.

Corin was six and looked a lot like his sister, as siblings often do. The only difference was that his eyes were brown instead of violet. In short, he looked more like his father, while Ariah bore more of a resemblance to her mother.

The siblings got along pretty well, only fighting occasionally, which was surprising for little kids. Today, unfortunately, was one of those days.

"Would you watch where you're going?" Ariah exclaimed.

"You almost knocked me over!" Corin pouted, his lower lip trembling.

"If you would have moved, that wouldn't have happened!"

"I didn't see you!"

The fighting abruptly stopped as the forms of their parents appeared in the doorway. Bob stepped forward.

"Ariah, Corin," he said calmly, "I know it's Monday morning and neither of you want to go to school, but can you at least keep it down?"

Ariah and Corin exchanged glances and looked back toward their parents. "We're sorry," Corin said.

Dot smiled and knelt before her son. "We know," she said, "Mondays are hard for everyone." She stood up and added, "Now you two had better get ready for school."

***

After their kids had left for school, Bob joined Dot at the breakfast table.

"We make great parents, don't we?" he remarked, taking her hand.

"I have to agree with you there," she said, mopping up the milk Corin had spilt earlier. She suddenly felt a wet muzzle in her lap and she grinned as she gave the Labrador Retriever an affectionate scratch behind the ear. "No, Ember, we haven't forgotten about you."

Ember wagged his tail and licked Dot's hand. Bob, finished his breakfast, stood up and put his dishes in the dishwasher. Ember stalked over to him and rubbed up against him, seeking attention. Soon enough, both man and dog were roughhousing and rolling around on the floor. Dot, in turn, put her dishes in the dishwasher and laughed as she watched Bob and the dog play.

"Not at all like Frisket, is he Bob?" Dot said, still laughing.

Bob shuddered involuntarily. "Not at all." He stood up, brushing dog hair off his clothes. He stepped closer to Dot and enfolded her in his arms, kissing her. He took her chin in his palm and said, "It's our daughter's birthday tomorrow."

"I know," Dot said, remembering the day Ariah was born. "That day was something else."

"Remember how happy we were? And how nervous?"

"How could I forget?"

Bob hugged Dot as he remembered that moment. "I don't think I had ever been happier or more proud of you."

Dot smiled, remembering how she had felt as she held her newborn daughter. "That was a day to remember, I must say."

Bob smiled lovingly at her then gasped with a sudden realization. "Uh, Dot? Didn't you have to give a presentation this morning?"

Dot's eyes widened and she looked at the clock. It was 8:45 and her presentation was at 9:00. "Oh NO! I'm late! I gotta go! See you later!" She stole a kiss, grabbed her notes, and dashed out the door.

Bob sat down with a contented sigh. Marrying Dot was the best thing that had ever happened to him. In his opinion, she was perfect.

Dot still didn't look a day older than she had the day she and Bob had gotten married. Even after giving birth to two kids, she had always managed, somewhat miraculously, to keep the same slim figure she had had the day Bob had come back from the Web.

Bob hadn't changed either. He still had that freelancing, playful air about him, and he never lost his loyalty towards his family. He stayed by Dot's side night and day and, even though they had their occasional arguments or TIFFs, he loved her as much, if not more, as he had on their wedding day.

When they did argue, Bob and Dot couldn't stay angry at each other for more than a few microseconds. In fact, their arguments seemed to heighten their love, rendering it more powerful than ever.

Bob snapped out of his reverie as a big wet tongue licked his hand. With a sigh, he got up and let Ember out to play.

A few micros later, he let the dog back in and made his way, slowly but surely, to the Principal Office.

#### Part 2

As the data-train left the station, two Guardians-in-training stepped off the platform into the warm sunshine.

As friends from childhood, Ram and Aptiva went to the Guardian Academy and were assigned to do a trial period in Mainframe, where two other Guardians already were.

The day was warm enough for the end of spring and the water sparkled in the bright sunshine. Nothing but pleasant sights surrounded the pair.

Ram looked skyward and shielded his dark blue eyes from the sun, his cool violet skin and brown hair shining. He yawned and stretched, admiring what he could see of the city. "Looks like a nice place to live," he remarked.

Aptiva followed his example by looking up also. Her green eyes sparkled as she broke into a tired but happy smile. She tossed her waist-length silvery hair over her shoulder. You know Ram," she said, "for once in your life, you might just be right." She promptly ignored the looked he gave her.

As if to punctuate her statement, a red rubber ball whizzed past her head, narrowly missing giving her a bad haircut.

"Look out!" a little kid shouted.

Aptiva managed to grab the girl in mid-stride as another girl, probably her sister, ran up and waved a small fist not ten centimeters away from her face. Ram took the kid's arm and pulled her over to his other side. 

"Who are you?" he asked, looking the girl in the eye. 

"My name's Ani, and if you don't let us go you'll be really, _really_ sorry," the girl replied defiantly, hands on hips.

"How old are ya, kid?"

"I'm ten an' if you don't lemme go--"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Who's she?" he asked motioning to the girl Aptiva was still gripping by the shoulders.

"I'm Midi an' I'm twelve. An' my sister wasn't lying. Out dad's tough an' if he finds out about this…" her voice trailed off.

Aptiva and Ram let the kids go. Both of the girls had had deep blue eyes very pale green skin. Ani had black hair while Midi's was aquamarine.

"Who are you?" Ani asked, glaring at the newcomers.

"I'm Aptiva and he's Ram. We're training to become Guardians."

"Dad told us about you," Midi said.

"Who's your dad?"

"Enzo Matrix," Midi replied simply with no threatening gestures for once, surprisingly.

Ram smiled knowingly. _Now I know where the little brats get their tempers,_ he thought to himself. "I know him and so does Aptiva," he said out loud.

"We should get going," Ani said suddenly, "Lunch is almost over. Nice talking with ya!"

"Bye lover boy!" Midi said to Ram.

"Nice talking with ya?" Aptiva said, incredulous.

"Lover boy?" Ram asked, suddenly feeling queasy.

Aptiva shook her head and shrugged as the pair headed for the Principal Office.

***

Later that day, everyone assembled at the Principal Office to meet the trainees. As the newcomers entered, they were stunned to see at least twelve Sprites, grown and small, two dogs, and a handful of binomes.

An old Sprite, at least sixty hours old, approached the pair and held out a skeletal hand as an attempted sign of welcome. "Greetings," he said cheerfully, "Welcome to Mainframe."

Aptiva smiled and smiled pleasantly--or at least tried to. Thank you, mister…"

"Phong."

"Phong?"

"Just Phong, my child."

Aptiva shook her head and shrugged off the "my child" part. "Right. Anyway, I'm--"

Phong cut her off, "Aptiva." At her blank and confused look, he decided, wisely, to elaborate. "The Academy has been gracious enough to supply us with your names." (insert wise Phong music here) He motioned towards Ram. "And you're Ram I presume?"

"The same," Ram said uncertainly, eyeing Phong suspiciously.

To break the tension, Phong introduced the newcomers to everyone assembled. First to Bob, Dot, Ariah and Corin, stating Bob to be a skilled and well-reputed Guardian. The latter looked towards the floor in embarrassment as he turned a light shade of violet.

Phong moved on to Ray and Mouse, including eight-year-old Lance, and three-year-old Celica, who clung to Ray's neck and waved shyly.

Matrix and AndrAIa were next, but when Ani and Midi were referred to, Ram politely said, "We've met". At this Ani scowled and moved closer to AndrAIa.

After touring the room, Ariah and Midi were selected to give Ram and Aptiva the grand tour of the system.

Suddenly Aptiva yelped in alarm as Frisket started to sniff at her. "Get that… _thing_… away from me!" she exclaimed. "I'm terrified of those horrible creatures!"

Frisket whined sadly and licked her hand while she cowered and hid behind Ram (which didn't do much good). AndrAIa sighed and called Frisket over. The dog whined again and reluctantly trotted back to his master's side, curling up on the floor at her feet.

Aptiva was visibly trembling as Ram tried to console her. "She had a bad experience with dogs as a small sprite," he explained. He then rolled up Aptiva's sleeve to reveal a nasty-looking scar on her right forearm. "She was attacked by a Rottweiler a while back. I still hope that she'll get over her fear soon enough but…" His eyes gained a pained look, but they quickly returned to normal.

Midi approached Aptiva and took her hand reproachingly as a sign of reconciliation. Aptiva jumped, startled that Midi would show her an act of such kindness. Ariah approached and the girls led the Guardians-in-training out the door and into the vast city of Mainframe.

As darkness fell, the others returned home, the two selected guides returning after the tour to their homes, back to their parents.

***

In a dark alley in the lower levels of Mainframe, evil lurked in the shadows. A strong feeling of contempt hung in the air as a pair of orb-like eyes glowed. A deep throaty growl emanated from the depths of an enormous being. This being held an unbelievable grudge against sprites and binomes alike.

Sniffing the air, she nudged a dark mass beside her. The other beast grunted and raised its head, his big yellow eyes glowing.

The female stood, her long talons scratching into the pavement as she did so. She stepped into the dim light of a street light, white pearly scales shining. A forked tongue slid out of her great maw, testing the night air. Seemingly satisfied, she gestured for her companion to follow. 

An identical, yet ink-black, creature padded out of the darkness, eyes darting around suspiciously. 

These creatures were viral, cold-blooded wyrms, more commonly referred to as dragons, with evil intentions. These wyrms happened upon the city of Mainframe by chance, seeking revenge for their dead queen. The minions were servants of Daemon, brainwashed by the lust for power. They had been pure of heart before their conversion, but they emerged from the conversion as evil as their viral creator. All they needed now was a lair from which to execute their plans.

Crash, the male, looked into the starless sky and grinned a toothy grin. "A perfect night for flight, don't you agree, my love?" he growled softly as he admired the black expanse.

Random chuckled and exhaled a freezing cold blast of icy breath into the cool spring air. "Indeed," she said, her green eyes sparkling.

As one, the two dragons took wing into the night sky. They soared over the city and lay eyes upon an abandoned island once inhabited by an infamous virus. It was Lost Angles. It was said that Hexadecimal's ghost still haunted the peaceful and strange island.

Crash exhaled a large gout of flame, searing the ground enough to form a grotto. "Oh, this will do nicely," he purred, admiring his work. He and his companion glided silently into the mouth, claiming their territory with a triumphant roar.

#### Part 3

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Both Aptiva and Ram knew that entering a junkyard at night was dangerous, but they pressed on, heedless of the signs warning them of the dangers lurking within. They had to find that file.

Ram caught a glimpse of it and smiled as he grabbed it, his smile soon turning into a look of alarm and fear.

In a corner of the junkyard, which was shrouded in shadow, he saw gleaming eyes and white, sharp teeth. The rottweiler growled angrily, eyeing the intruders menacingly.

Ram screamed for Aptiva to run as he forced his legs to move. Behind him he heard a clatter, then a scream as Aptiva tripped over something and fell, the hound gaining on her.

Ram gasped and turned back, planning on grabbing the girl's arm and pulling her out of the way. Just as he was about to reach her, he slipped in a puddle of oil and fell. The dog bared its fangs and leapt at Aptiva, clenching her arm in its teeth.

Ram recovered from the fall, kicked the hound several times, and dragged a hysterical Aptiva out of the junkyard. 

His friend was hurt and in shock. Her arm was jaggedly split open: the dog's personal signature, and she was shaking out of fear. He tore a piece of material from his shirt and fashioned a makeshift tourniquet for Aptiva's arm. He didn't want to leave her alone, but he had to call for an ambulance. He told her where he was going, then left for a telephone at a sprint.

As he ran back to her after having called 9-1-1, he comforted her and calmed her hysteria until the ambulance showed up.

***

Aptiva screamed and sat bolt upright in bed. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared into the dark of her room.

Ram ran into the room and almost literally flew to her side. "Are you alright?" he asked, studying her face. 

She buried her head into his shoulder, trembling, unable to speak.

"You had that dream again, didn't you?" Ram asked, holding onto her, stroking her tangled hair. The only answer he received was sobbing. "It's okay, Aptiva. It's alright. I'm here. Shhh. It's all over. You're not in danger anymore." He rocked her back and forth until her crying stopped. As all this took place, Ram had a dawning awareness. He loved Aptiva; he had always loved her.

Aptiva, however, voiced his thoughts before he had the chance to do so. In response, he answered her with his exact thoughts and kissed her gently, comforting her still. Her trembling ceased, and soon she had fallen asleep once more.

Ram slowly laid her back down on her pillow so as not to wake her, and got up carefully, smiling to himself at the irony, and crept out of her room.

***

At the dragons' lair, there was a strange, malevolent feeling in the air. It was the kind of feeling that you couldn't quite put your finger on, but you would know for sure that this feeling meant something decidedly evil was going on. Nobody would want to stick around long enough to find out.

A pungent stench of decay hung in the chill air, the kind that plays around your nostrils until you start to feel queasy. The source was a discarded carcass of a mangled and partially eaten binome lying on the floor of the lair.

Crash paced the lair's floor irritably, openly displaying his hatred and anger at the Guardians and this city. Random was coolly lying down a considerable distance away so as not to get trampled. She knew better than to stay in the black's way when his temper got fiery.

"We'll get our revenge on these pathetic beings soon enough, my love," she purred.

Crash snorted. "Why is it that only Sprites get in our way? They are always the most difficult to deal with. So stubborn." He flopped down ungraciously beside Random.

"Binomes are too panicky to want to even come close to virals, dear. Besides," she added in a more velvety tone, "I thought you liked a challenge." A reptilian smile crossed her lips as her orb-like eyes glowed.

"You know," Crash started, "we could get a little help on this takeover operation…"

"Oh? Do go on."

"Sprites."

"I love it when you talk like that."

"Now for a plan…"

"An evil plan -- kidnapping, treachery, torture, death threats, capture, takeover, infection -- take your pick."

"Kidnapping, listening to loved ones whine, infection."

"Perfect. Who shall we target?" 

Crash scanned visuals of who was currently in Mainframe and picked one. "That one," he said. His taloned finger pointed to Aptiva. 

#### Part 4

Morning finally came to Mainframe with a bright golden sun and dozens of chirping floppies. The sun shone into Aptiva's bedroom window as she awoke, reveling in memories of the night before. _He loves me,_ she thought to herself, _He really does love me._

With a groan she managed to drag herself out of bed and over to the window. She smiled as she saw clear blue skies, blooming prism-blossoms, and bees humming over the sweet nectar to be found within these flowers. She then had a dawning realization: "I'm going to be a guardian". She had never really thought about it before, but only then was she fully able to appreciate the value and meaning of what she was one day going to become. "I'm going to become a legend," she said to herself, "almost like Bob and Matrix. For once in my life I'm going to be respected!" Aptiva then smiled a radiant smile and flung the window open to breathe in the sweet scents of the morning. Taking one last glance at the beautiful sight outside, she headed to the kitchen to have her breakfast.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Aptiva saw that Ram was already seated at the table in front of a monstrous bowl of beta-bits and a very large glass of orange juice. She smiled inwardly as she slowly and quietly made her way to the table and stationed herself behind him. Wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, she kissed his cheek lightly. "Morning, sleepy-head," she said.

Ram jumped and turned slowly around to face Aptiva. "Oh, yeah.... whatever," was his garbled and tired-sounding reply.

Aptiva giggled and said, "You never were a morning person, were you, Ram?"

At this, Ram merely shook his head and went back to eating his cereal.

"I love you..." Aptiva said, her voice trailing off.

This (finally) got Ram's attention and he got up, walked the short distance between him and Aptiva, and put his arms affectionately around her tiny waist. "I love you too," he said, with the most feeling she had heard from him all morning. He then managed to drag the corners of his mouth upwards to form a very small smile.

This seemed to satisfy Aptiva, who stole a quick kiss, and wrestled herself out of his grip to go get her own breakfast. As soon as she was about to pour her orange juice a vidwindow popped up in front of her, nearly scaring the bits out of her. What was AndrAIa doing calling her so early in the morning?

"Hi, Aptiva. Look, I need a favour from you. You're the only person avaliable this morning."

"It depends on what it is, " Aptiva countered.

AndrAIa grinned knowingly. "I know Ram might not be too thrilled, but could you watch Midi and Ani today?" 

Before Aptiva could answer, she heard Ram cough and choke on his cereal. "Just a nano," she said to AndrAIa and ran off to help Ram. "You okay?" she asked him. At his nod and deep breath of air, she rushed back to the vidwindow. "Sure, AndrAIa, we'll watch them today." A loud thud was heard from the other end of the kitchen.

AndrAIa laughed and thanked Aptiva before closing the connection.

Aptiva rushed back to Ram again. "You _idiot_!" she exclaimed. "If you don't want to look after them you don't have to make a fool of yourself!"

Ram growled. "You can look after them by yourself. I'm going to the Diner. Do what you want. It's your funeral."

"Ram, Ram wait!!" But it was too late. Ram was already out the door.

***

As soon as Ram reached the Diner, he felt guilty. He knew he shouldn't have blown up at Aptiva like that, but he really didn't like those kids. Too much like their old man. In his eyes, one Matrix was enough, but three... no. Absolutely not. Still... he felt storming out on Aptiva like he had done was the wrong thing to do. _Oh well,_ he thought to himself, _I can always apologize later._

He entered the Diner with a somewhat cheerful smile on his face and was greeted by a full house. Bob, Dot, Ray, Mouse, Matrix, AndrAIa, and even Frisket were present on this sunny Saturday morning. He grabbed a chair and dragged it over to where his friends were sitting.

"G'day, mate," Ray said, "Good to see ya this mornin'. How goes tha lady today?" he asked politely.

"Oh... she's alright..." Ram said, his voice trailing off.

"You're not too upset about her looking after Midi and Ani, are ya?" Matrix asked with a grin.

"No... no. I'm not. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep too well last night."

"New places do that to you sometimes," Bob said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You okay, sugah?" Mouse asked, "Ya look like ya did sumthin' awful. What's up?"

"Aw, I just got a little annoyed with Aptiva this morning. Nothing too drastic. I'm just feeling kinda guilty, that's all."

"These things happen," Dot said, eyeing Bob. "It's perfectly normal to have the occasional TIFF."

A long bout of silence followed Dot's statement and everyone pretty much stared into space for the next few microseconds. The silence was then broken by Mike, who ran into the Diner and hopped up onto the table. "Hey everybody! This is Mike the TV reporting to bring you a special broadcast straight from Lost Angles!"

"But, Mike, you're _here_," Bob pointed out.

"Shh. You're not supposed to know that! Anyhow, at oh-four hundred hours this morning a really _mysterious_ thing happened to Lost Angles today. Wait! What are you doing? MMmmmmfh!!"

"Shh. I wanna hear this. Let him talk!" AndrAIa protested. Ray took the duct tape off Mike's mouth.

"--and inhabited Hex's old lair! What's going to happen to Mainframe now? Tune in to the next 'True Stories of Mainframe' to find out!"

"What inhabited Hex's old lair?" Dot asked.

"Don't you people listen to me? Two viruses, people! Two huge, horrible, terrifying, dragon viruses!"

At this statement, the Diner went silent and all the binomes looked up. All eyes were on Mike. Everything was silent for a few nanoseconds, and then chaos erupted in the Diner. Binomes were screaming and running amok all over the place, then, finally, they all ran screaming into the streets.

"Way to go, Mike. You just got rid of all my customers," Dot protested.

"Well you _asked_ me to tell you what happened, didn't you?"

Mike was then, quite literally, kicked out of the Diner.

***

Aptiva sighed as she plopped down on the couch. "Stupid hard-headed, low-res, incompetent Sprite!" she grumbled. Her good mood was shattered and Midi and Ani would be here any moment. She opened the heart-shaped locket she wore around her neck and smiled as she saw the picture of Ram. He was good-looking and loving, but he could really be a pain sometimes.

The doorbell rang and Aptiva got up with a grunt to open the door. She put on a happy face and opened the door. There, with beaming faces, stood Midi and Ani. "Well," she said, "don't just stand there, come in!" The girls complied and went into the main room. They simultaneously sat down on the floor and started their ceaseless babble.

Later into the day, Aptiva started getting a feeling of dread. She remembered Turbo telling her that a true guardian could feel evil when it was about to happen. Then, before she knew it, she heard a high-pitched screeching noise getting closer and closer to her. Midi and Ani got scared and started to cry and Aptiva tried to console them. Before she could say anything truly comforting, a taloned something reached out and grabbed all three of them and her world went black.

When she awoke, she wasn't in Ram's apartment. She was somewhere cold and dark that didn't even come close to reminding her of home. She involuntarily shivered. It really _was_ cold! Where was she? She managed to drag her eyes open and she gasped with fright. She was caged like an animal in a dark and musty cavernous room. She looked around for Midi and Ani and found them unconscious, lying beside her. She then became aware of two huge creatures lying not too far away from where she was.

"Ah," the larger one said, "you're awake. Good." He stalked over to the cage and peered in at her pale blue face. "There's no need to be afraid. We won't hurt you. Yet. I hope you like the idea of viral infection."

Aptiva gasped. "Viral.... infection? Now? To... all of us?"

The big creature chuckled. "No, not now. In a few days, when I've had enough of your friends' whining. And why not all three of you? It's always better to start young as a virus. Oh, and allow me to introduce myself. I am Crash, dragon and virus. And that, over there, is Random, my female accomplice. Together we can accomplish anything, and we will start by wiping out every inhabitant of this wretched city one... by.... one." He emphasized his last statement by extending his talons and letting them gleam in the dull light. "Starting with you three of course. Mainframe... will be ours."

***

Ram sighed as he opened the door to his apartment. He was feeling upset and agitated ever since the morning. Stepping into the apartment, he gasped at the sight that met his eyes. The apartment was a mess. Tables and chairs were overturned, and it looked like a tornado had ripped through it. He then noticed the large hole in the wall and started to panic. He felt something odd under his foot and gasped as he saw what it was. It was Aptiva's necklace. He had given it to her for her last birthday. "Aptiva?" he yelled. "I'm so sorry, Aptiva! Are you here? ANSWER ME!" He choked back a sob as he feared the worst. He then realized Midi and Ani were missing too. A tear rolled down his cheek. "Oh Aptiva... where are you?"

Then he remembered it. Mike's broadcast. The virals. The dragons. They had _kidnapped_ them! _Oh,_ Ram thought to himself, _They are going to pay for what they've done. Just wait until I tell Matrix. I must win this battle. To get Aptiva back safe and sound._

#### Part 5

Ariah was getting impatient. Midi, Ani, and Aptiva were supposed to be here by now! It _was_ her birthday party after all. They were _never_ late! "Mom," Ariah whined, "When're they gonna get here? They're already half a millisecond late!"

Dot smiled down at her daughter. "Ariah, I'm sure they'll be here eventually. Remember how Ram and Aptiva agreed to babysit Midi and Ani this morning? They'll be here, don't worry."

At that point Bob came up to Dot and Ariah with a grim look on his face. "Ariah, can I talk to your mother for a nano?" At the girl's nod, Bob led Dot aside and started talking in a hushed tone. "Dot," he said with a sigh, "We have a problem. I just got a call from Ram."

Dot looked knew that tone. "What happened?"

"You remember those virals we heard about from Mike this morning?"

Dot's eyes widened. "No! it _can't_ be!", she cried. "They--" she caught her voice beginning to increase in volume. She continued in a more quiet manner. "The dragons... they _couldn't_ have!"

Bob simply nodded, affirming her fears.

"We... we have to alert the others! Mouse, and Ray, and Matrix, and AndrAIa..." 

"Dot, the danger we're facing is incredible. I think we better lay low for a while. We have no idea what they might try to do next."

As usual, Dot's protectiveness won her over. "But Aptiva-- This... this can't be happening! Not again!" This time, she was through with being quiet.

At that moment, Ram let himself in. He made his way up to Bob and Dot and said, "I'm taking the battle to _them_. Anyone care to join me?"

Bob and Dot exchanged nervous glances. Bob took a breath, then said, "Ram, I don't think--"

"Count me in," Dot said decisively. All Bob could do was watch helplessly as Dot's compassion for others pushed common sense and reasoning aside. He reached out a hand to restrain her, but it was too late. She was already out of his reach.

***

Half a millisecond later, Ram had gathered Dot, Matrix, AndrAIa, Frisket, and Mouse together for a raid of sorts. Bob and Ray stayed behind to watch the children, quite reluctantly. Bob, especially, seemed quite annoyed that Dot had gone ahead and agreed to join the attack force, but he knew that once Dot Matrix set her mind to something, she couldn't be restrained. His heart nearly broke in two as he saw her run off with the small mob of Sprites towards the virals' lair. "Be careful, people," he whispered from his station at the PO, almost to himself. Then, he added, "I love you, Dot. Don't do anything stupid." 

***

Meanwhile, at the virals' lair, Crash was pacing the floor, talking to Aptiva with disdain. Midi and Ani could be heard whimpering in another corner of the cage. Suddenly he stopped when he noticed the scar on her right forearm. "My, my... what a nasty scar... how did you get that?"

Aptiva covered her scar with her hand protectively. "None of your business, _virus_, she snarled, glaring at the dragon hatefully.

The virus extended his claws mechanically. "Do you want to reconsider, girl, or do I have to get this information out of you _my_ way?"

Aptiva's face got about four shades lighter. "A...a guard dog bit me. I'm terrifi-" Aptiva stopped herself, then gasped. She had just revealed her greatest fear to a dragon! 

Crash grinned a toothy grin. "Thank you for that information, girl. It will prove quite helpful indeed." He gestured to Random. "Come, my love. We have a plan to prepare."

"I love it when you talk like that," Random cooed, then followed Crash out of the room.

As soon as the virals left the room, Aptiva had a realization that she hadn't had in a long time. She realized that even though she was a guardian, she was afraid. Terribly afraid. Then, poor Aptiva slumped down onto the cold, metal floor of the cage and softly cried, lulling herself into a fitful sleep.

***

An invisible being floated over the cage of the sleeping girls. She knew what was going on, and, even though she could do nothing in her power to help Aptiva and her young companions that had anything to do with power, she knew she would be able to figure something out. She always _had_ been the chaotic one back in her processing days. Now she was just a ghost, not to be seen by any living creature. Now all Hexadecimal had to do... was wait.

***

Bob was sitting in Dot's office, watching the girls while talking to Ray. "I hope she'll be alright out there, Ray," he said absentmindedly. He was busy looking over a read-me file Dot had written earlier that cycle.

"Mate, all I can tell ya is that Dot's a strong lady. She knows what she's doin'. Besides, I know that if anything happens, my Mouse will look out for her. She always has. Ever since she's met the girl. Everythin'll be fine."

Bob looked up at Ray and said, "Ray? I really, truly hope you're right. Because I have a very bad feeling about all this." 

"Daddy?" Bob jumped as Corin suddenly appeared by his side. "Where did mommy go? And where are Midi and Ani?"

It was a long time before Bob answered. "Mommy had some errands to take care of, Corin. She'll be back soon. Midi and Ani had to go away for awhile. But they're in good hands."

The child gave his father a sidelong glance. "Are you sure? You seem sad."

"It's nothing. I'm alright. I'm just a little distracted, that's all."

"What's that?" Corin asked, indicating the read-me file in Bob's hand.

"This is a read-me file your mom wrote. It's a fairy tale about... dragons and damsels in distress." Bob made sure to stress the word 'dragons'.

"Can you read it to me?" Corin asked suddenly, a smile starting to form on his face.

"You know what, sport? That's a good idea! Why don't you gather up Ariah, Celica, and Lance and get them to listen too?" 

The boy nodded enthusiastically, and soon all the youngsters were gathered before Bob as he told the story. Ray watched on the sidelines, smiling down at his own treasures, praying that the kidnapped would soon be returned to their loved ones.

***

"NO! No PLEASE! You can't! Let me GO!" Aptiva screamed as she thrashed and kicked wildly as Random carried her in her great maw to another part of the lair. "You'll be sorry for this, you think-headed viral! LET ME GO!" As if on cue, Random tossed Aptiva carelessly into a cell in the back section of the lair, then closed the door and bolted it. It was pitch black. Aptiva couldn't see a thing. But she could hear. Oh, User, she could hear the sniffing and scratching of dozens of dogs.

Her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, and what she saw chilled her very blood. At least thirty feral dogs were slowly approaching her, sniffing out her scent. "NO!" she screamed, taking off her boot and throwing it at an unsuspecting canine. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" The boot missed the dog by at least a foot, but Aptiva didn't care. She screamed and kicked with all her might until she had completely exhausted herself. She lay shivering on the cold, hard concrete floor of her cell, tears of genuine fear streaming down her face. A dog got close enough to touch her and she winced, trying to wriggle away from the horrible beast. She then gave up, closed her eyes, and feared for the worst.

Aptiva opened her eyes in surprise and shock when she felt a wet, hot tongue on her face. Startled, she opened her eyes. The dog that had been approaching her wasn't attacking her! It was licking away all her tears, wagging its tail vigorously. Aptiva then looked at the other dogs in the room. None of them were growling or snarling at her. They were all lying by her, fast asleep! They didn't want to kill her, they wanted to befriend her. She carefully and cautiously reached out a timid hand and slowly and gently started stroking the dog that was now happily sitting beside her.

***

The small group of rebels was now working its way towards the lair. They had almost made their way in when two dark shadows flew overhead. A loud scream was emitted by one of the dragons, announcing the beginning of the battle.

Matrix readied Gun and AndrAIa whipped out her trident. THese dragons had kidnapped their children, and there would be hell to pay. The dragons swooped down low for their first round of attack. This caught the rebels by surprise and Matrix didn't have time to react. Crash emitted a golden flame of sizzling hot fire, aimed precisely above the mob to warn them, and to give them a hot welcoming. Random soared downwards, talons unsheathed and gleaming, aimed directly at the two sprites at the rear of the group. Ram saw this, however, and readied his spear. He knew there was a lot of dragon to hit, so he didn't aim for any specific part. He hurled the spear with all his might and it sped towards its target like a lightning bolt, pure and true. It struck the dragon, but it did not wound it very severely. It merely knocked her off her course... and now she was heading towards the Command.Com herself.

Matrix growled in fury. "Delete _my_ sister? I don't think so! Gun! Targeting! Full delete!" He fired, but to his surprise, the shot didn't even touch the creature. It deflected off one of the spines on her back, merely brreaking it off.

The next happenings were blurred as Random lifted Dot off the ground with her sharp talons. Few saw what happened in that split-nanosecond, but those who heard Dot's tortured screams would have vowed never to set foot into battle again. A limp body was dropped from the dragon's talons as the wyrm soared towards the heavens. "Let this be a warning to you!" she screeched. "We dragons show _no_ mercy when faced with an enemy!" With that, the two viruses flew back into their lair.

Matrix rushed to his sister's side. He checked her vital signs and shook his head sadly. "Guys, we have to get her to the Principal Office. NOW."

#### Part 6

Bob, Ray, and Phong stood in the Principal Office's main hall. PO sensors had detected that Ram and company were returning from their battle. The three Sprites aforementioned were perplexed, however. The gang of rebels had hardly been gone for thirty microseconds. Bob sensed that something wasn't right. Worry clearly made itself visible on his face as he awaited their return, pacing the floor. 

A few nanoseconds later, the big gold doors swung open with a loud bang, and Matrix walked in, targeting eye red, holding something, or someone, in his massive arms. The rest of the group followed at a safe distance. Bob could barely make out the shape in Matrix's arms. As Matrix approached, Bob's suspicions were confirmed. He saw, no doubt about it, that Matrix carried, in his arms, a badly battered and unconscious Dot. The silence in the main hall was deafening as Bob, Ray, and Phong tried to believe what they saw. Bob was the first to speak. "M-Matrix? Is... is she...?" he said, not able to look at Dot. 

Matrix shook his head. "She's alive... just barely. Her vital signs are very weak. There doesn't look like there will be much chance for her. And it's all my fault!" Matrix broke down, sobs racking his massive body. "I... I tried to stop it, but... I-- I missed." 

Phong rolled in beside Matrix, peering into the man's arms, trying to get a good look at Dot. "Hmm... There may still be a chance for her. Come, my children. Let us go to the med room. We will try to help her. But first, I need to know what has happened." 

As the procession of Sprites slowly made its way to the med room, Matrix and Ram told the story of how Dot had been attacked, throwing in every little detail to the bit. After they had finished, there hung in the air a very heavy silence. Bob took in a slow, shaky breath, then let it out again. He offered a tentative glance towards his beloved. Dot was very badly battered and bruised. Even shrouded in unconsciousness, her features plainly showed that she was in agony. Her left arm was pointing out at an unnatural angle and her face was black and blue with bruises. Her face was tear-streaked and her mouth twitched every once in a while. She was in shock.

He looked away, not being able to bear it. Dot was on the brink of the abyss, and it was all his fault. "It's all my fault," he said out loud, a little louder than he had intended. 

AndrAIa gave him a quizzical look. "Bob?" she said. "Your fault? I don't understand." 

"I didn't go with her. I could have protected her. "He shook his head sadly. "And now I could lose her forever." A single tear rolled down his cheek. He then shifted his eyes away from AndrAIa and fixed his gaze to the floor.

A few microseconds later, they arrived at the med room. Phong told Matrix to lie Dot carefully down on the bio-bed while he readied the equipment needed to help her. He worked quickly, attaching a bag to an IV tube and stand, and rolling it beside the bed. He then askeed for a volunteer. Dot had lost a lot of energy, and it had to be replenished, or she would be deleted for sure. Bob was the first to step forward, and he was soon hooked up to a transfer machine. Phong then attached a heart monitor to Dot's free arm, the one that wasn't receiving the transfusion. He rolled in beside Bob and Matrix. The others left the room so that Dot wouldn't feel crowded when she woke up. 

Phong turned to the two men. Putting a thin hand on Bob's shoulder, he said, "All we have to do now, my children, is wait."

***

Random was sitting in the gloom of the lair with Crash once again. "My love," she said, "our prisonner's wails seem to have subsided. Shall we go and _check_ on her?"

Crash put a talon to his lips, in a mock-thinking postition. "We had better leave her there for a while longer. We have a lot to worry about as it is. Those pests will no doubt return here to claim their kin. And undoubtedly to avenge their Command.Com, will they not?"

Random smiled and cocked a reptillian eyebrow, her green eyes glowing. "That was quite amusing, actually. It relieved tension. That Command.Com didn't put up much of a fight, though, I'm quite disapponted in her."

Crash gave her a wry look. "Oh, honestly. Remember that you're at least fifteen times her size, my love. What kind of fight could she put up if your assault was unexpected? Besides. We finally gave those fools something to think about. They now know that we have no intention of playing games with them. We will claim this city, even if it means burning it to a crisp to do so." 

He waved his clawed paw dismissively, got up, and padded over to the eggs in the corner of the lair. "And if we don't succeed, we will still have five little successors, won't we?" As if to punctuate his statement, the eggs gleamed in the dull light, casting a rainbow of color over their surfaces. "Yes, this clutch will prove to be quite promising." 

***

The spirit of Hexadecimal floated over the two dragons and their treasures. _They must be stopped!_ she thought to herself. She knew of all the goings-on around the lair, and by the dragons' conversation, things did not look good for our heroes. _Bob has helped me in the past, and therefore I owe him a favour. I must alert Aptiva. These wretched spirit chains keep me restrained here in Lost Angles, but they cannot keep the secrets I hold from escaping my lips._ With that thought, Hex floated over to where Aptiva was being held.

Aptiva lay asleep, her arms wrapped around a scruffy-looking dog's neck. Even as she slept, she uttered incoherent words. Her legs twitched and she smiled as she spoke. Hexadecimal smiled to herself. _Perfect,_ she thought. Floating closer to Aptiva, she hovered by her head for a few nanos, and then disappeared.

***

Aptiva was sitting in Floating Point park with Ram on a white and red checkered blanket, enjoying a picnic. Mainframe was looking more beautiful than ever. The sun above the city was emitting a glorious golden light, reflecting off of all visible things. The colors had never been so vivid. The trees were a beautiful emerald green, the energy sea sparkled radiantly, as if it were made up of millions and millions of diamonds, and the city itself looked flawless and as new as the day it had been created. 

Ram smiled down at her as she finished off the last of her energy shake. He seemed about to say something, when his features became fuzzy and distorted. All of Mainframe spun around her and soon she was sitting in a black void, with nothing but a sense of weightlessness around her. Then, a mask appeared from out of nowhere. She was about to scream, but the mask somehow became a figure. A woman was now floating next to her. She cleared her throat, and spoke. "Aptiva," she said, "Your friends are in grave danger." 

Aptiva was struck dumb. "How do you know my name? Who are you?" 

The figure shook her head sadly. "There is no time for that. I need your help. I am merely returning a favor that I owe one of them." 

Aptiva shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. "But... why me? What can I do? I'm locked up!" 

"There is a key under the floorboards by the left wall just before the bars of your cell. I want you to take the dogs out of the cell when the virals leave the lair. There you will bring them out into the main cell and have them destroy the eggs in the furthermost corner from the door. I need your help, Aptiva. If you don't do this, Mainframe, and your friends, will be doomed. This is a dire situation. Mainframe's future depends on you." 

With that, the figure disappeared in a flash of light and Aptiva awoke in a flash of dizzyness. 

***

Bob sat by Dot's side in the Pricipal Office's med room. He had her hand in both of his, the energy transfer still going. "Please, Dot," he pleaded. "Please survive this. Show those virals what you're made of. You're a Matrix, remember? You're strong, and you can fight your way through this thing." 

Phong rolled back into the room and canceled the energy transfer. "This energy seems to be helping her very much. That will be enough for now. Her left arm is broken, and she has some bruised ribs and multiple abbrasions. She will survive Bob. I ran some tests and she has no cranial damage or permanent conditions. She will be just fine in time." 

At this news, Bob smiled, very relieved. "Thank you, Phong," he said, "Thank you so much." 

"My child, it is my duty to assure that our Command.Com lives through anything." With that, he rolled out of the room. 

Bob turned back to Dot, brushing her face gently with his hand. "Dot, no matter what happens, I'll always be waiting for you." 

Dot uttered a small, almost inaudible moan. Her eyes flickered open and she said, in a harsh, barely audible whisper, "I know, Bob, I know." 

Bob couldn't believe it. "Dot! You're awake?!" 

Dot managed to smile slightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"What are you thanking me for? It was my fault you were almost deleted! It was all my fault!" 

"Don't talk like that. You know it's not true. You saved my life." 

Bob smiled grimly. "Yeah, but those virals are still out there. And I promise you, I will make sure that they don't hurt anyone ever again." 

"Be careful," Dot whispered, then closed her eyes. 

"You do the healing, and I'll do the worrying. I'm going out there." Bob kissed her lightly on the cheek, then got up and left the room.

#### Part 7

Bob quickly told everyone assembled in the Principal Office's main hall the good news about Dot. Amid happy exclamations, he told them that he had a good plan for battle, and he was itching to use it. 

"Now we all know," Bob started, "that our viruses are of opposite elements. Random, the female, is of the water element and Crash, the male, is of the fire element. It is common knowledge that a dragon of a certain element is immune to it. However, both our dragons are of opposite elements. So what would happen," he said, his voice rising to a triumphant crecendo, "if we somehow managed to turn each one's element against the other? Ice meets fire, fire meets ice, and boom! Fire and ice destroy each other simultaneously. This won't be easy, but I'm sure that together, we'll be able to pull this off."

Stunned silence was what followed Bob's speech. Then everyone started talking at once. Everyone admitted, in their own words, that it was a brilliant plan. It was a plan that even Dot would have been proud of. It had now been made clear that Bob was spending way too much time around the said Command.Com. There was no time for speculation on this matter, though. There was a battle to plan, and when a bunch of determined Sprites set their minds to something, they could do anything.

***

Aptiva shook her head to rid herself from the last effects of her dream, and she got up. Stretching, she made her way over to the bars. She got down on all fours and tentatively reached her hand out, past the bars, to feel for cracks in the floor near the wall. After feeling around a bit she finally found a hairline crack a few inches away from the wall. She tried everything from pushing it to smashing it, but it wouldn't budge. Then she remembered something she had learned in Guardian Training: when all else fails, do the most obvious thing. She placed her fingers firmly on the outer edge of the crack, just inside the square of marble that defined the secret compartment, and gave it a quick, sharp jab. The piece of floor flipped around, revealing a small, silver key. She grabbed it and studied it. 

The key was a remarkable piece of work. It had an intricate engraving, on its shiny surface, of an Elizabethan flower, with a small ReBoot icon as its center. Standing up, Aptiva put the key in the lock on the outside of her cell and turned it. The lock opened with a loud click. 

The sound roused the dogs that were sleeping around the cell, and Aptiva began to explain to them what they were to do, in a very primitive form of speech. Feral dogs, you see, are capable of understanding the common tongue spoken by Sprites, binomes, and virals, but only to a certain extent. They licked their lips expectantly at the mention of the eggs. It looked like they were going to get their first meal for that cycle, and they were ready to go to the attack. 

***

The small group of warriors approached the virals' lair for the second time that day. Matrix, who led the group, pumped his fist in the air and yelled a battle cry. Soon after, two loud shrieks echoed his cry an two winged demons emerged from their lair, eyes gleaming and teeth shining. Matrix, following the plan, let loose with several rounds of rapidfire with Gun, distracting one of the virals, while the other swooped low. AndrAIa unsheathed her trident and hurled it at the distracted dragon, piercing its tough, scaly hide. The big black screeched a cry of pain and sent a cascade of fire into the sky, illuminating the battlefield for several nanoseconds. 

The white coursed through the sky like a comet, a stream of white ice preceeding her. Mouse drew her two katanas, clanged them together loudly, and roared at the incoming dragon. Random took the bait and turned her emerald gaze towards the firey-haired hacker. Mouse smiled menacingly and put on a fabulous show of swordplay. The rapidly descending virus opened her great maw to freeze the hacker in a stream of freezing cold ice, and screamed in pain as something peirced her side. She looked back to see who her attacker was, and she saw Ram, standing triumphantly, bow in hand, a full quiver of arrows slung over his right shoulder. He smiled up at the virus and mock-saluted. This enraged Random beyond belief. She shrieked a cry and started down towards the offender. 

Crash wasn't doing so well, himself. He was engaged in a claw, tooth, and nail (literally) battle with AndrAIa, who had her trident out and was happily trying to spear the beast. A set of aqua projectiles could be seen sticking out of the virus's neck. Unfortunately, the creature was too big for the paralysis drug to do its job. The spines had only succeeded in slowing him down a little. Crash extended his claws and dove towards AndrAIa, prepared to attack. AndrAIa was prepared for the assault, however, and all the dragon's claws came in contact with was AndrAIa's trident. The two met with a deafening clash. Crash opened his mouth, preparing to breathe red hot fire on his opponent. 

***

Aptiva led the dogs into the main room. When the eggs were in sight, she turned to the canines and said, "There they are, boys. You now what you have to do. Now FETCH!" Aptiva watched the scene with a satisfied smile on her face. The dogs were hungry, alright. They devoured the eggs faster than you could say Bob's your uncle. 

After the dogs had satisfied their nutritional needs at the expense of the dragon eggs, Aptiva walked over to the cage, which held Midi and Ani. The two girls were awake and clinging to the metal bars with their little hands, beaming at Aptiva. She let them out of their cage and they all sat and waited for the sounds of battle to cease.

***

Meanwhile, Bob was preparing for phase two of the plan. Everything was going smoothly. Now it was his turn to join in the fun. He prepared an energy charge and fired it into the sky, trying to catch both dragons' attention. Success! They both turned towards him and commenced their attack from either side. As one they opened their great maws to breathe their poison upon him. At the last possible nano, Bob zipped out of the way of the streams of fire and ice. Fire hit ice and ice hit fire. The fire melted the ice, charging right into Random, and the ice put out teh fire, evaporating it into thin air, speeding right into Crash. Two shrieks were heard at exactly the same time as both dragons dropped down to the ground, dead. 

All was quiet until the victors cheered in loud voices, celebrating the victory of their battle. 

***

Aptiva heard the whoops and cries of joy and turned to Midi and Ani woth a big smile and said, "That's our signal! Let's get out of here!" The three, followed by one loyal dog, ran out of the lair and out into the night air. 

Aptiva was smiling from ear to ear as she caught sight of Ram, and charged towards him. "RAM!" she shouted happily, bowling him over, little Enzo style. 

Matrix and AndrAIa were reunited with their children, and apologies, hugs, and kisses were exchanged by all parties. There were many happy faces that night in Mainframe, and our heroes were to thank for it. 

***

It took several cycles, but Dot finally got better, and everyone got together to do something that was long past due... 

"Happy birthday, Ariah!" Ram exclaimed, handing her a gift. 

Beaming, Ariah opened her present. "No way!" she exclaimed. "It's an organizer just like mom's! Thank you, Ram!" She then flung her arms around Ram's neck and kissed him on the cheek. 

Bob watched in horror as all this came to pass. "That's all I need!" he cried, turning to Dot, "Another _you_!" 

Dot punched him playfully in the arm. "Oh, you!" she giggled, "You know you love it!" 

At the dinner table, later, Aptiva enjoyed shoving a piece of birthday cake into Ram's mouth. On a whim, she asked him, rather blatently, "You wouldn't want to marry a girl like me, would you?" 

Ram almost choked on his cake, but after he had swallowed it, he grinned at Aptiva and said, "Sure, why not?" and kissed her full on the lips, icing-mustache and all. 

***

Bob and Dot helped Ram and Aptiva pack up their stuff for their trip back to the Super Computer. "It's too bad you have to leave us so soon," Bob said sadly as he loaded the last suitcase on the train. 

"Well, that's life, I'm afraid," Ram said as he closed the compartment. "We'll look you up after we graduate from the academy. You'll be the first to recieve wedding invitations." He smiled. 

"What?" Dot said, incredulous. 

"Didn't you hear?" Aptiva said with a chuckle, "I proposed to Ram at Ariah's party." 

"Congratulations!" Dot and Bob said together, then looked at each other and laughed. 

"We'll miss you both," Bob said, shaking Ram's hand. "You've made quite an impact here, in case you haven't noticed." 

"And you overcame your fear," Dot remarked, pointing to the dog that was standing beside Aptiva, happily wagging its tail. "Have a safe trip back," she said, hugging Aptiva. 

"Thank you, I'll be sure to write," Aptiva said, then the young couple boarded the train and it puffed out of the station. 

As Bob and Dot watched the train disappear over the horizon, Dot leaned over and said, "Oh, and Bob? I have the most wonderful news..." 

Bob picked his wife up and twirled her around, wondering what the future would hold for them and their growing family. 

END

   [1]: mailto:rb_julia@yahoo.com



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